Member Info for Richox

BT is not a free market share. It is controlled by HMG through its poodle Ofcom. If BT's performance seems to be improving Ofcom will put on the pressue and keep it on until the share price falls to around 150p. They'll then ease off until the share price goes to around 200p . It's just a mechanism to hold back prices in the telecoms sector and help the fight against inflation. Forget about a bid, BT is far too useful to HMG to let that happen, regardless of HMG's colour.

BT's share price was 1513p in 1999 when the FTSE was about 6900, HMG sold its goldedn share shortly after that, and the game began.

It did keep up with the ftse over 2025, but unfortunately has lost 75% over the last 10 years. It is not a free market share. You can expect it to do little more than bob up and down between 150 and 200 throughout 2026, but at least you do get the dividend.

Quite right. No company in the telecoms sector is ever going to make money while HMG, through its puppy the regulator, squeezes BT to the bone. BT is allowed to survive - just - and shareholders are allowed a dividend which covers inflation - just. The alts can try to cherry pick the market but the scope is limited and short lived. So it has been since the con they called privatisation and so it always will be. Forget any takeover, HMG won't allow it. This is just not a free market share.

Go back 40 years and you will have just about broken even. That's what the regulater and its masters, HMG, want. They'll squeeze when things look good and ease off when things look difficult. They'll never allow a takeover but the dividend will cover you for inflation. It's just not a free market share.

It's not the board, the unions, the pension scheme, capex, employee motivation, cherry picking competitors etc holding back the SP. BT is just not a free market share. HMG and the regulator allow BT to survive, but only just, and they'll never allow it to be taken over. That's why the share price is around where it was at so called privatisation, over 40 years ago. Long term shareholders can look forward to little more than a meagre, but relatively secure dividend.

Talk of a takeover is wildly optimistic. Recent speculation might have temporarily pushed up the SP, but reality is returning. Between them, HMG and the regulator have BT in a stranglehold. Controlling it gives them a much needed lever against inflation. They'll let BT survive as it is, but not much more. That's why the SP is all but where it was 40 years ago. It's just not a free market share.

That's Ofcom doing the job HMG wants them to do.

Does anyone else remember when the share price was between £4 and £5 in the late 1990s. I'm not selling until it's back there. Question is, will I live another 200 years?

BT is not a free market share. The regulator's job is to keep BT alive - but only just. Any uptick and the regulator tightens the squeeze. All done with HMG's blessing as by restricting BT the entire telecoms sector is restricted helping keep inflation down.

BT is not a free market share and never will be while the regulator controls it. If prospects improve the regulator just squeezes harder and will only ease off if BT begins to struggle. All done with HMG's blessing as they use the regulator as a weapon against inflation. Forget the independence nonsense. Keep BT down and you keep the whole telecoms sector down, restricting price rises. This has been going on since HMG sold its golden stake at around £11 per share around 30 years ago. The regular has learned how to keep the share price around £1.50, and with fluctations of around 20% that's where it's going to stay. Forget broker ratings, you might as well look at tea leaves.

This forum is for BT share discussion. People who use it to give their views on politics, religion, current affairs, or just to trade insults, but without mention of BT or of the relevance to BT, should go elsewhere.

BT is not a freemarket share. It is controlled by the regulator - encouraged by HMG. If BT is controlled the whole telecoms sector is controlled and HMG has a lever on inflation. Hence BT's 75% drop over 10 years, 90% drop over 35 years and VOD's similar performance. Everything else is just froth.

Standard LIfe was a super company, destroyed by Aberdeen. The ridiculous name change is typical of the useless management team, trying to be cool. What did that cost shareholders and what did it achieve?

A burden on your potfolio is about right however.

Share buybacks rarely benefit shareholders. They benefit directors who get higher bonuses from the improved financial ratios but shareholders are lucky if they emerge at break even. How much cash have you seen returned to your pocket? Don't hold your breath.

As for brokers - they have no more idea of future price movements than you or me. Anything they do or say is intended to boost their profits, not yours.

You can forget all about FFTP, copper in the ground, technical issues, the pension, the unions, the CEO, the management, broker analyses, court cases, takeover bids and almost anything else - except politics.

The fact of the matter is that BT is controlled by the Government through the Regulator. If BT looks as if its doing well the Regulator will squeeze it. If it's not doing so well the Regulator will ease off. The Regulator squeeze on BT began after the Government made a huge profit selling its golden share at the height of the dotcom bubble. Since then it has progressively learned how to keep BT at survival level, if only just. The share price will now stick at around the floatation level, because that suits the Government as a measure of the squeeze. - and that won't change after the next election. It's taken the Regulator a bit of time to manipiulate the SP down, but that's the real reason for the 80% drop in the last 10 years.

BT IS JUST NOT A FREE MARKET SHARE. Privatisation was just a Government cash generating con to sell back to the people the assets that the people owned, and then using Regulators to keep control. The BT Board know they can't beat the Regulator, so they just play the game. After all there is the trade off of the huge salaries and perks they are allowed to pay themselves.

As for a bid - forget it, the Government will never allow one. Having conrol of BT gives the Government control of the telecoms sector and a lever to fight inflation.

The day traders will always play with BT so you might get lucky if you join them. Otherwise the dividend will provide a few crumbs of comfort, but be careful what you do with it.

£10!! that was around 30 years ago when the government bailed out of most of it's share and the regulator was still sorting itself out. Getting on for a 90% drop since then. With an independent from government (ho ho ho) regulator all but controlling BT's spend and pricing policies this is not a free market company. A string of "world class" and therefore very highly paid CEOs have arrived thinking they can beat the regulator and promising jam tomorrow, only to slink away a few short years later with their tails between their legs and huge pay offs. Don't worry though, the regulator will allow BT to survive and will probably allow you a tolerable dividend as part of their game. So provided you didn't pay £10 a share you'll probably be ok.

While BT is in th grip of the regulator the SP will never be allowed to rise much above the floatation price. They will allow BT to survive, but only just. Be warned.

Ofcom's job always has been to allow BT to survive, but only just. They are a tool of government. They will never allow BT to make headway and will do all they can to ensure BT's share price will not rise much above the floatation price of over 30 years ago. BT will never be a free market share whilst it's in Ofcom's clutches.

If the BT share price rises the regulator just gets tougher. Their job is to ensure the price does not go much above the privatisation price. They'll allow BT to survive, but not much more. No government will give up its stranglehold on BT, and through it on the entire UK telecoms sector, to Drahi, DT or anyone else. The big players have cottoned on.

This self serving board are more interested in feathering their own nests than running the company. Buy backs are in their interests and their interests alone. This share is headed for relegation.